American Citizenship Healthcare Integrity Act of 2025
Summary
The American Citizenship Healthcare Integrity Act of 2025 aims to amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act. It mandates hospitals to inquire about patients' citizenship status as a condition for Medicare participation. Additionally, it requires hospitals to report the costs of providing services to non-citizens.
Expected Effects
Hospitals will be required to collect and report citizenship data from patients. This could lead to increased administrative burdens and potential delays in care. The Secretary will then publish reports on uncompensated care costs for non-citizens and related federal expenditures.
Potential Benefits
- Provides data on healthcare costs associated with non-citizens.
- May inform policy decisions related to healthcare resource allocation.
- Could potentially reduce healthcare costs for citizens if uncompensated care is addressed.
- Increases transparency in healthcare spending.
- May help to identify and address fraud or abuse in the healthcare system.
Potential Disadvantages
- May create a chilling effect, discouraging non-citizens from seeking necessary medical care.
- Could increase administrative burdens and costs for hospitals.
- Raises privacy concerns regarding the collection and use of citizenship data.
- May lead to discrimination or unequal treatment based on citizenship status.
- Potential for increased racial profiling and bias in healthcare settings.
Constitutional Alignment
The bill's constitutional alignment is questionable. While Congress has the power to regulate Medicare under the Spending Clause (Article I, Section 8), the requirement to collect citizenship data may infringe upon individual privacy rights, potentially raising concerns under the Fourth Amendment. The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment could also be implicated if the law leads to discriminatory practices.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).